Barishal City Corporation

Barishal City Corporation (Bengali: বরিশাল সিটি কর্পোরেশন - in short: BCC) is a local government authority responsible for administering all civic services in the city of Barisal, in south-central Bangladesh. The BCC government is elected by popular vote every five years. The corporation is headed by a mayor, who oversees a council consisting of 40 councillors representing different wards of the city. The functions and powers of the BCC are defined under the provisions of the City Corporation Act, 2009.

The corporation covers an area of over 58 square kilometers in the Barisal District where over five million people live as permanent residents. The body was known as Barisal Municipality previously, until it obtained the city corporation status by a ministry of local government declaration on 25 July 2002.

To provide civil service and facilities to the inhabitants, Barisal Town Committee was formed in 1969 under Act VI of 1868 (B.C.) with the district magistrate as its chairman. J. C. Price was the first chairman of the town committee. It was upgraded to Barisal municipality in 1876 under the Municipal Act of 1876. It was then managed by a committee, of which the district magistrate was president, and was aided by government with establishment grants.^[1] It remained as a municipality for over 130 years though the number of population have been rising with time. Later in 2001, the ministry of local government meeting on declared to turn two divisional headquarters, Barisal and Sylhet to city corporations and passed "Barisal City Corporation Act, 2001". An administrative move was made abolishing the Barisal Municipality as the final step to introduce the administrative body as a city corporation. On 25 July 2002, the municipality was officially upgraded as Barisal City Corporation.^[2]

The city corporation is run by a joint staff of elected public representatives and government officials. Officials both come from departmental recruitment and the administrative cadre service of the country. The area of BCC is divided into 4 thanas: Kotwali, Kawnia, Bandar and Airport. The thanas are subdivided into 30 wards and 225 mahallas. It is administrated by 30 councilors, 9 woman councilors and the mayor elected in the local government election for a five-year tenure.

The Barishal City Corporation (BCC) is responsible for administering the city and ensuring the provision of essential infrastructure and public services. Its functions include urban planning, transport management, healthcare, education, waste management, water supply, and security. Through these services, BCC aims to improve the quality of life for residents and promote sustainable urban development.

Barishal City Corporation is administratively divided into 30 wards. Each ward is represented by one elected councillor, while additional reserved women councillors are elected for groups of wards, as provided under the Local Government (City Corporation) Act.

Status

The mayor of Barisal City is head of the Barisal City Corporation. The mayor's office is located in Nagar Bhabon. It has jurisdiction over all thirty wards of the city, administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within the city.

The deputy mayor (also known as Panel mayor) is a second-ranking official of city corporation. 3 Panel mayors are appointed from the council member to assist the mayor through voting. The 1st panel mayor with the highest number of votes is appointed as deputy mayor or acting mayor. In the absence of the mayor, the deputy mayor controls all functions of the City Corporation. Other 2 Panel mayors also assist mayor and to oversee major offices within the executive branch of the BCC.

• List of city corporations in Bangladesh
• Barisal Division

22°42′06″N 90°22′24″E / 22.7018°N 90.3734°E / 22.7018; 90.3734